Friday, April 01, 2016

Happy birthday to a legendary recording producer

That photo shows a 1970 Kingsway Hall session for the EMI recording of Vaughan Williams' The Pilgrim's Progress. From left to right are Ursula Vaughan Williams, Christopher Bishop (producer), Sir Adrian Boult, John Noble, Ian Partridge, Gloria Jennings, Christopher Parker (balance engineer), John Alldis (chorus master), Sheila Armstrong and Marie Hayward. During his career at EMI Christopher Bishop produced legendary recordings with Sir John Barbirolli, André Previn, Sir David Willcocks, David Munrow, Carlo Maria Giulini, Sir Adrian Boult and many others. Christopher was born on April 1st 1931; he is enjoying a well-earned retirement in rural Suffolk not far from Aldeburgh, and I am sure readers will join me in wishing him a very happy birthday. It is a scandal that in an age when so many minor media celebrities receive recognition with State honours that Christopher Bishop's contribution to British and indeed global culture has never been recognised with a suitable honour. You can hear him talking to me about David Munrow and much else here, or read an interview transcript here. Elsewhere he contributes a charming vignette of John Cage in Scotland.

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